Equestrian resort going up in Polk County

Dignitaries ceremoniously break ground for a hotel at the Tryon Resort during a reception announcing the new equestrian resort on Wednesday at the site of the resort located near exit 170 off I-74 in Tryon. From left to right are, Ted Owens, chair for the Polk County board of commissioners, Sheila Johnson, founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, Mark Bellissimo, managing partner, Sharon Allred Decker, N.C. secretary of commerce, and Roger Smith, partner.

Michael Justus/Halifax Media Group

By JASON SPENCERHalifax Media Group

Published: Thursday, June 26, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 11:25 p.m.

POLK COUNTY — Entrepreneur Mark Bellissimo on Wednesday pulled back the curtain on Tryon Resort, a massive 1,400-acre retreat that is to be home to an international equestrian center, hotel, luxury spa and resort, log cabin village, RV park and Arnold Palmer-designed golf course.

Community leaders hailed the announcement as one of the biggest economic development events in Polk County's history and said its impact would be felt throughout Western North Carolina and the Upstate.

Bellissimo, managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners, said the development represents a $100 million investment in the community. Tryon Resort is expected to create hundreds of jobs, draw thousands of people to the area and pump tens of millions of dollars into the local economy and tax base, according to a written statement.

The resort was borne out of a vision to create “one of the most significant equestrian centers in the world,” Bellissimo said.

“You have our commitment that we will work tirelessly to make this a very, very special place, without compromising the community's rural character and while honoring its long-standing equestrian tradition,” Bellissimo told a crowd of nearly 200 people.

The development, off Pea Ridge Road at Highway 74, incorporates what was once White Oak Plantation, an 800-lot subdivision where only five homes were completed before the bottom fell out of the housing market in the late 2000s.

Tryon Equestrian Partners' plans call for building out homes on the remaining lots for purchase or participation in the resort's rental program, and Bellissimo wants to explore assisted-living options for retirees.

The sprawling development will be anchored by Tryon International Equestrian Center, which, when complete, will feature up to 10 riding areas — including one that will have stadium seating for 6,000 people — along with 1,000 permanent stalls, elevated and shaded viewing decks, a large covered ride facility and a sports complex complete with a health club, game room, sports bar, children's area, tennis courts, mountain bike park, climbing walls, a basketball court and a large pool with private cabanas for participants' families.

The center will host its first cross-discipline equestrian competition next week. Bellissimo hopes to be able to host the area's first FEI — Federation Equestre Internationale — competition this fall.

Economic development officials said the tourism impact of such equestrian events would be felt in the cities of Hendersonville, Asheville and Greenville and Spartanburg, S.C.

North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker, who lives in Rutherford County, called the project “a Carolinas development.”

Officials broke ground Wednesday on Tryon Resort's hotel, which is expected to be completed by the summer of 2016. Construction of the spa and resort, which will include a conference center and dining options in the White Oak portion of the property, will commence after that. Middleburg, Va.-based Salamander Hotels & Resorts will manage the hospitality and golf aspects of the development.

“In 2016, this will be the most important lodging development in the country,” said Prem Devadas, Salamander president.

Johnson said Tryon would become a “sister property” with the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, which is itself in the heart of Virginia's horse and wine country.

Salamander, too, wants to focus on the integration of the spa experience with the equestrian lifestyle. Yoga on horseback, for example, has been successful in Middleburg, Devadas said.

Several of the Tryon Equestrian Partners also are involved in the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in affluent Wellington, Fla., which hosts the Winter Equestrian Festival, a 12-week event that generates 100,000 hotel visits for that area.

Bellissimo believes the new Tryon center will have a similar impact here, though Tryon Resort will have homes at all price points in order to attract a broad swath of horse enthusiasts and not just cater to “a small group of people.”

Bellissimo said Tryon Equestrian Partners wants to work with local schools, churches and charities and complement existing amenities like Harmon Field.

While Tryon Resort will feature its own network of mountain bike trials, plus skeet shooting at a nearby property, the regional offerings in terms of hiking, fishing, camping, whitewater rafting and other outdoor activities are a huge draw for the crowds that will visit the resort, he said — not to mention the views of the Blue Ridge mountains and the temperate climate.

“You walk around the community — Tryon, the 'friendliest town in the South' ... That is not just a saying. I've experienced a tremendous energy here,” he said.

The entire venture rests comfortably on Tryon's century-old equestrian tradition. Next week's competition is being held in collaboration with the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. Show jumping legends George Morris, Bert Denemethy, Gordon Wright and Frank Chapot trained in the area, and it was home to the 1956 and 1960 Olympic trials.

“We are excited about building upon an industry that is at the heart of who we are and who we will be,” Commerce Secretary Decker said.

Later, she said the Tryon International Equestrian Center would open up a new season for horse enthusiasts who travel to shows from New York to Florida. She said it was important that such a “transformational” development project builds on what is already in place in the Carolina foothills.

Wit Tuttell, the acting assistant secretary of the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development, called the announcement “a tremendous addition to the state's tourism product.”

“It just really fits in with the way we market the state; the image, the feel,” he said. “It's a natural fit.”

At about $22 million annually, Polk County currently ranks 80th out of 100 in terms of tourism spending in North Carolina, and the county has 176 tourism jobs, he said.

“It's going to blow that off the charts,” he added.

Polk County Commission Chairman Ted Owens, who would ride his bicycle along Pea Ridge Road as a boy, said during Wednesday's announcement that it “does my heart good” to hear the sound of construction workers in the background. The mayors of Tryon, Saluda and Landrum, S.C. attended the event.

“Horses are a driver for the economy, and they have been for 100 years,” said Libbie Johnson, a former Polk County economic development director. “This is really not new. This is just taking it to the next level.”

Happy McLeod, a Tryon town commissioner and president of the nonprofit Tryon Downtown Development Association, said it was hard to even imagine the impact the new resort and equestrian center would have on the area.

“It's put us at the top of the horse world,” she said. “We've always been a leader, but this is going to put us right up on top.”

During and after Wednesday's event, Bellissimo spoke highly of the regional workforce. Several times, he told the story of how locals bristled when they stacked up the sleepy pace of this area against the accelerated rate at which Bellissimo wanted to move.

In the span of about four months, he said, 500 construction workers have moved 1.6 million cubic feet of dirt, built more than 20 permanent structures, erected 500 permanent stables, constructed five riding arenas and laid more than seven miles of fiber optic cable. The equestrian center is expected to hold its grand opening in September.

Tryon Equestrian Partners selected contractors from around the region, including Spartanburg and Hendersonville. Blue Ridge Log Cabins in Campobello, S.C. is supplying all of the cabins for the development. Bellissimo said he and his wife just bought a house in Campobello, too.

Bellissimo said he was captivated by the area several years ago when local residents Roger and Jennifer Smith invited him to the annual Blockhouse Steeplechase.

A full schedule of inaugural equestrian events should be available in the next few weeks, he said.

<p>POLK COUNTY — Entrepreneur Mark Bellissimo on Wednesday pulled back the curtain on Tryon Resort, a massive 1,400-acre retreat that is to be home to an international equestrian center, hotel, luxury spa and resort, log cabin village, RV park and Arnold Palmer-designed golf course.</p><p>Community leaders hailed the announcement as one of the biggest economic development events in Polk County's history and said its impact would be felt throughout Western North Carolina and the Upstate.</p><p>Bellissimo, managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners, said the development represents a $100 million investment in the community. Tryon Resort is expected to create hundreds of jobs, draw thousands of people to the area and pump tens of millions of dollars into the local economy and tax base, according to a written statement.</p><p>The resort was borne out of a vision to create “one of the most significant equestrian centers in the world,” Bellissimo said.</p><p>“You have our commitment that we will work tirelessly to make this a very, very special place, without compromising the community's rural character and while honoring its long-standing equestrian tradition,” Bellissimo told a crowd of nearly 200 people.</p><p>The development, off Pea Ridge Road at Highway 74, incorporates what was once White Oak Plantation, an 800-lot subdivision where only five homes were completed before the bottom fell out of the housing market in the late 2000s.</p><p>Tryon Equestrian Partners' plans call for building out homes on the remaining lots for purchase or participation in the resort's rental program, and Bellissimo wants to explore assisted-living options for retirees.</p><p>The sprawling development will be anchored by Tryon International Equestrian Center, which, when complete, will feature up to 10 riding areas — including one that will have stadium seating for 6,000 people — along with 1,000 permanent stalls, elevated and shaded viewing decks, a large covered ride facility and a sports complex complete with a health club, game room, sports bar, children's area, tennis courts, mountain bike park, climbing walls, a basketball court and a large pool with private cabanas for participants' families.</p><p>The center will host its first cross-discipline equestrian competition next week. Bellissimo hopes to be able to host the area's first FEI — Federation Equestre Internationale — competition this fall.</p><p>Economic development officials said the tourism impact of such equestrian events would be felt in the cities of Hendersonville, Asheville and Greenville and Spartanburg, S.C.</p><p>North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker, who lives in Rutherford County, called the project “a Carolinas development.”</p><p>Officials broke ground Wednesday on Tryon Resort's hotel, which is expected to be completed by the summer of 2016. Construction of the spa and resort, which will include a conference center and dining options in the White Oak portion of the property, will commence after that. Middleburg, Va.-based Salamander Hotels & Resorts will manage the hospitality and golf aspects of the development.</p><p>“In 2016, this will be the most important lodging development in the country,” said Prem Devadas, Salamander president.</p><p>Salamander CEO Shelia Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, called Wednesday's announcement “a dream come true.”</p><p>Johnson said Tryon would become a “sister property” with the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, which is itself in the heart of Virginia's horse and wine country.</p><p>Salamander, too, wants to focus on the integration of the spa experience with the equestrian lifestyle. Yoga on horseback, for example, has been successful in Middleburg, Devadas said.</p><p>Several of the Tryon Equestrian Partners also are involved in the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in affluent Wellington, Fla., which hosts the Winter Equestrian Festival, a 12-week event that generates 100,000 hotel visits for that area.</p><p>Bellissimo believes the new Tryon center will have a similar impact here, though Tryon Resort will have homes at all price points in order to attract a broad swath of horse enthusiasts and not just cater to “a small group of people.”</p><p>Bellissimo said Tryon Equestrian Partners wants to work with local schools, churches and charities and complement existing amenities like Harmon Field.</p><p>While Tryon Resort will feature its own network of mountain bike trials, plus skeet shooting at a nearby property, the regional offerings in terms of hiking, fishing, camping, whitewater rafting and other outdoor activities are a huge draw for the crowds that will visit the resort, he said — not to mention the views of the Blue Ridge mountains and the temperate climate.</p><p>“You walk around the community — Tryon, the 'friendliest town in the South' ... That is not just a saying. I've experienced a tremendous energy here,” he said.</p><p>The entire venture rests comfortably on Tryon's century-old equestrian tradition. Next week's competition is being held in collaboration with the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. Show jumping legends George Morris, Bert Denemethy, Gordon Wright and Frank Chapot trained in the area, and it was home to the 1956 and 1960 Olympic trials.</p><p>“We are excited about building upon an industry that is at the heart of who we are and who we will be,” Commerce Secretary Decker said.</p><p>Later, she said the Tryon International Equestrian Center would open up a new season for horse enthusiasts who travel to shows from New York to Florida. She said it was important that such a “transformational” development project builds on what is already in place in the Carolina foothills.</p><p>“That's true economic development,” she said. “That's sustainable economic development.”</p><p>Wit Tuttell, the acting assistant secretary of the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development, called the announcement “a tremendous addition to the state's tourism product.”</p><p>“It just really fits in with the way we market the state; the image, the feel,” he said. “It's a natural fit.”</p><p>At about $22 million annually, Polk County currently ranks 80th out of 100 in terms of tourism spending in North Carolina, and the county has 176 tourism jobs, he said.</p><p>“It's going to blow that off the charts,” he added.</p><p>Polk County Commission Chairman Ted Owens, who would ride his bicycle along Pea Ridge Road as a boy, said during Wednesday's announcement that it “does my heart good” to hear the sound of construction workers in the background. The mayors of Tryon, Saluda and Landrum, S.C. attended the event.</p><p>“Horses are a driver for the economy, and they have been for 100 years,” said Libbie Johnson, a former Polk County economic development director. “This is really not new. This is just taking it to the next level.”</p><p>Happy McLeod, a Tryon town commissioner and president of the nonprofit Tryon Downtown Development Association, said it was hard to even imagine the impact the new resort and equestrian center would have on the area.</p><p>“It's put us at the top of the horse world,” she said. “We've always been a leader, but this is going to put us right up on top.”</p><p>During and after Wednesday's event, Bellissimo spoke highly of the regional workforce. Several times, he told the story of how locals bristled when they stacked up the sleepy pace of this area against the accelerated rate at which Bellissimo wanted to move.</p><p>In the span of about four months, he said, 500 construction workers have moved 1.6 million cubic feet of dirt, built more than 20 permanent structures, erected 500 permanent stables, constructed five riding arenas and laid more than seven miles of fiber optic cable. The equestrian center is expected to hold its grand opening in September.</p><p>Tryon Equestrian Partners selected contractors from around the region, including Spartanburg and Hendersonville. Blue Ridge Log Cabins in Campobello, S.C. is supplying all of the cabins for the development. Bellissimo said he and his wife just bought a house in Campobello, too.</p><p>Bellissimo said he was captivated by the area several years ago when local residents Roger and Jennifer Smith invited him to the annual Blockhouse Steeplechase.</p><p>A full schedule of inaugural equestrian events should be available in the next few weeks, he said.</p>